Mounting for indicia upon a cemetery crypt, mounment, vault, and the like



Sept. 25, 1962 E. A. MADEJ 3,055,132 MOUNTING FOR NDIcIA UPON A ETERY CRYPT, MONUMENT, VA AND H LIKE Filed Dec.

// l//lll/ /l YHLYI INVENTOR. Edward A. Made] 2| 21o BMM/1MM m Fg 32 H/5` ATTORNEYS United States Patent() MOUNTING FOR INDICIA UPON A CEMETERY CRYPT, MONUMENT, VAULT, AND THE LIKE Edward A. Madei, Verona, Pa., assigner to las. H. Matthews & Co., Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Fenn- Sylvania Filed Dec. 29, 1961, Ser. No. 163,167 Claims. (Cl. Liti-124.5)

This invention relates to a mounting for indicia such as letters, numbers, characters, and design elements upon a cemetery crypt, monument, vault, and the like, and particularly upon a front face of the crypt, monument, etc. where the letters, numbers, characters and design elements are readily Visible to a viewer. Generally, the letters identify a deceased person and the numbers with or without letters show the dates of the deceaseds birth and death. Sometimes, design elements are used in combination with the letters and numbers for decorative purposes. In most cases, the indicia are made from metals including bronze, aluminum, stainless steel, and other suitable ones.

These indicia are supported upon the face of the crypt by a metal bar attached to the face thereof. Extending lengthwise of the bar is a slot which is open opposite the face of the crypt and which receives a metal foot or support member of an indicia. Generally, the slot is open at each end of the bar and a part of the bar is spaced apart from the face of the crypt to permit insertion of the foot member of the indicia into the slot and positioning of the indicia along the bar by sliding the foot member within the slot.

Heretofore, variations in tolerances between the metal foot member and the metal bar have produced a loose iit between the two so that the indicia have not been positioned firmly against the face of the crypt, but have leaned forwardly therefrom. This forward leaning is clearly unwanted from an appearance standpoint and, additionally, because of a ltendency to collect foreign particles such as leaves, twigs, etc. between the indicia and the face of the crypt. This produces an unsightly appearance and, accordingly, cemeteries have been interested in firmly positioning the indicia against the face of the crypt to avoid any detraction in appearance.

My invention for the metal indicia provides a rm positioning thereof against the Aface of the crypt and avoids a forward leaning of the indicia due to variations in tolerances between the slot of the metal bar and the support member of the indicia. Specifically, my invention resides in mounting of a metal indicia upon a cemetery crypt, monument7 vault, and the like, which has a metal bar attached -thereto for supporting the indicia in a position visible to `a viewer of the crypt. 'I'he bar has a slot for receiving and engaging the indicia with the slot open opposite a face of the crypt. The indicia has a front side and rear side which are adapted to abut the crypt face and a lip connected thereto and preferably attached to a foot member which is a part of the indicia. The lip is shaped to enter the slot and there engage a part of the bar defining -the slot so that the indicia is supported against the face of the crypt in a position visible to the viewer. The lip is made from a resilient material and has a dimension such that it substantially lills the slot to provide a substantial wedging engagement be tween the bar and the lip to support the indicia against the crypt face.

The lip has a front face disposed to engage at least a part of a rear wall of the bar slot with the rear wall positioned substantially parallel to the crypt face. The front face of the lip has a small taper located in a plane which runs from the front side of the indicia towards the rear side thereof. Disposition of the taper is such lfce that its high part is closer to a central portion of the indicia than its low part.

Resilient materials which are satisfactory for the lip include polyethylene, polypropylene, polyurethane, rubber, synthetic rubber, and other suitable materials having pliable characteristics and ability to be attached to the indicia or to a support or foot member which forms a part of the indicia.

In the accompanying drawings, I have shown a preferred embodiment of my invention in which:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevation view of ya part of a front face of a crypt, monument and the like with a metal bar attached thereto and mounting one indicia above and one below the bar and against the fron-t face according to my invention;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged section view along the line II-I-I of FIGURE l showing the bar and the indicia of FIGURE l on the crypt before attachment thereto;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged section View similar to FIG- URE 2 with -the bar and indicia attached to the crypt;

yFIGURE 4 is an enlarged front elevation view of the top of the indicia of FIGURE l ymounted below the bar and before attachment of a lip thereto;

FIGURE 5 is a view similar to FIGURE 4 with the lip attached to the indicia;

FIGURE 6 is a section View along the line VI-VI of FIGURE 5;

FIGURE 7 is a section view along the line VII-VI of FIGURE 5; and

FIGURE 8 is a section view along `the line VIII- VIII of FIGURE 5.

Referring to the drawings, a front face 1 of a stone monument or crypt 2 has attached thereto by lag screws 3 a metal bar 4 so that the rear side 5 thereof abuts the front face 1. This bar 4 supports an indicia 6 such as the numeral seven both above and below it in a position visible to a viewer of the monument. On the rear side 5 of the bar 4 are two `spaced apart slots 8 and 9 extending lengthwise therethrough and open at each end for insertion of a foot or support member 10 of the indicia 6. Each slot is also open opposite the front face of the monument. The top and bottom portions 11 and 12, respectively, of the bar partially Idefine the slots -8 and 9 and each forms a shoulder 13 whose terminal end 14 is spaced ap-art from the front face 1 of the monument 2 to permit the support member 10 of the indicia `6' to be inserted into the slot at an end of the bar and located along the length of the bar by sliding to a desired position when the bar is loosened from attachment to the monument.

FIGURES 2 and 3 show that each of the slots 8 and 9 have a rear wall 15 substantially parallel to the crypt face 1 and side walls 16 and 17 which slope inwardly a small amount from the slot opening to intersect with the rear wall and form a channel shaped slot. The amount of slope is about 7 but may fall within a range from about 2 to about 12.

As shown, the support member 10 is integral with the indicia, extends widthwise thereof, and is joined `to the top portion of the lower indicia (FIGURE 1) and to the bottom portion of the upper indicia (FIGURE 1). yBoth the support member 10 and indicia 6 are made from a metal such as bronze, aluminum, various non-ferrous alloys, stainless steel, etc. `Connected to the upper part of the foot member 10 is a lip 18 which extends widthwise of the indicia and down along a small part of the front side 19 -of the foot member. This lip is made from a resilient material such as polyethylene and can be made from any of the other resilient materials mentioned herein. A

Referring to FIGURE 4, a number of holes 20, 21, 22 and 23 are drilled through the upper part of the foot member which extends widthwise of the indicia. On the rear side of the foot member, the holes 21 and 22 are counterbored to form countersinks 24 and 25. Then a narrow strip 2.6 is machined on" thetop of -the foot to provide notches from holes 21 and ZZ which extend through the foot member.

To attach the lip 18 to the foot member, I place the VVfoot member in a mold (not shown) and add a polyethylene resin thereto in sufficient amount to form the lip and iill the holes and notches including countersinks. After solidiflcation of the polyethylene resin, the foot member is removed from the mold. Filling of the holes and the countersinks with the polyethylene resin assists in effecting a good connection between the lip and the foot member.

The lip has a iirst portion 27 which extends down along the front side 19 of t-he foot member and a second portion 28 substantially perpendicular to the foot member and disposed in a plane substantially transverse of the plane of the indicia.

Y The second portion 28 extends across the top or the bottom of the foot member to the rear side 32 of the indicia. In cross section the lip is dened by a top side 2.9, a front face 30 and a bottom side 31 with the top and bottom sides inclining inwardly a small amount from the rear side 32 of the indicia towards its iront side 32a. The amount of incline is about 7 4and is substantially that of the slope of the side walls 16 and 17 of the slot. However, the amount of incline may fall Within a range from about 2 to about l2".

The front face 30 of the lip has a small taper 30a which is disposed in a plane running from the iront side 32a towards the rear side 32, of the indicia and which is located so that the highfpart 30b of the taper is closer to a central portion of the indicia than the low part 30e. The amount of the taper is about but it may fall within a range from about 2 to about l5".

-Referring to FIGURE 2, the bar 4 with the lips of both indicia inserted into their respective slots is shown before it is firmly mounted upon the monument by the lag screw 3. Due to the taper 30a on the -front face of the lips, the `foot members of the indicia are lifted above the monument face 1 and slope towards the Iface 1 at an angle of about 5. Also the high part 301; of the taper of the front face 30 is substantially the only portion of the face 30 in engagement with the rear wall 15 of the slot.

When the ibar is secured to the monument (FIGURE 3), most, and sometimes all, of the rear side 32 of the indicia abuts the monument face 1 and the lip substantially lls the slot except perhaps -for a small space between the rear Wall and the low part 30e ofthe taper of the front face 30. Thus, a large part of the length of the front face 30 engages the rear wall 15 of the slot. In some instances, the lip completely lls the slot. Thus, a wedgelike engagement between the lip 18 and the slot of the bar results to support the indicia Armly against the monu ment face 1.

Generally the peripheral dimension cross sectionwise o-f the lip is substantially that of the peripheral dimension cross sectionwise of the slot. In this way, when the bar is attached to the monument, the lip substantially and in some cases completely iills the slot thereby preventing any play or looseness between the lip and the bar to assure support of the indicia against the monument face 1.

The small taper 30a of the front face 30 plays an important role in positioning and maintaining the rear side 32 of the Aindicia in abutment with the monument face `1. Specifically, with the bar located as in FIGURE 3, that portion of the lip which includes the high part 30h of the tapered face is under greater compression than the portion of the lip which has the low part of the face. Since the portion of the lip under greater compression is spaced inwardly from the outer end of the foot member, there is a force exerted against the indicia by the lip whichsurges that part of the indicia visible to a viewer against the monument face. This force operates as a moment to 4 pivot or rotate indicia 6a in a clockwise direction about high part 30h of the front face 30 of the lip viewing FIGURE 2.

Additionally, a combination of the small taper 30a of the front face of the 1ip,.therear-wall 15 disposed parallel to the monument face, the inward slopes and inclines of the walls of the slot and the sides of the lip cooperates with the resilient material of the lip to effect abutment of the rear side 32 of the indicia with the monument face.

While I have shown and described a preferred embodiinent of my invention, it may be otherwise embodied within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

l. In mounting a metal indicia upon a cemetery crypt, monument, vault, and the like, having an elongated bar attached thereto for supporting said indicia in a position visible to a viewer of said crypt by use of a slot in said bar which slot is open opposite a face of said crypt, said indicia having a front side and a rear side Vadapted to abut said crypt face, the invention comprising a lip connected to said indicia and shaped to enter said slot and there engage a part of said bar deiining said slot so that said rear side of said indicia abuts said crypt face, said lip being made of a resilient material and being of such dimension that it substantially fills said slot to provide wedging engagement between said bar and said lip to support said indicia against said crypt face.

2. The invention of claim 1 characterized by said lip having a front face disposed to engage at least a part of a rear wall of said slot, said rear wall being substantially parallel to said crypt face, said front face having a small taper disposed in a plane running from the front side of the indicia towards the rear side thereof and having Ythe high part of said taper closer to a central portion of said indicia than the low part of said taper.

3. The invention of claim 2 characterized by said lip being connected to one of the top and bottom of said indicia and extending along a portion of the front side thereof.

4. The invention of claim 2 characterized by that portion of said indicia connected to said lip having a plurality of holes extending therethrough from said front side to said rear side, at least one of said holes including a countersink on said rear side, said lip including projections which extend into said holes and substantially fill said countersink for effecting attachment of said lip to said indicia. v

5. The invention of claim 1 characterized by that portion of said indicia connected to said lip having a plurality of holes extending therethrough vfrom said front side to said rear side, at least one of said holes including a conntersink on said rear side, said lip including projections which extend into said holes and substantially fill said countersink for eiecting attachment of said lip to said indicia.

6. In mounting a metal indicia upon a cemetery crypt, monument, vault, and the like, having an elongated bar attached thereto for supporting said indicia in a position visible to a viewer of said crypt by use of a slot in said bar which slot is open opposite a face of said crypt, said indicia having a front side and a rear side adapted to abut said crypt face, said slot being defined by side walls which slope inwardly a small amount to a rear wall disposed substantially parallel to said crypt face, the invention comprising a lip connected to said indicia and shaped to enter said slot, said lip having a front face disposed to engage at least a part of said rear wall of said slot, said front face having a small taper disposed in a plane running from the front side of the indicia towards the rear side thereof and having the high part of said taper closer. to a central portion of said indicia than the low part of said taper, said lip being made of a resilient material and being of such dimension that it substantially lls said slot to provide wedging engage- 5 ment between said bar and said lip to support said indicia against said crypt face.

7. The invention of claim 6 characterized by said lip having side walls disposed to engage said side walls of said slot and sloping inwardly towards its front face substantially the same amount as said slot side walls slope inwardly toward said rear wall of said slot.

8. The invention of claim 7 characterized by that p0rtion of said indicia connected to said lip having a plurality of holes extending therethrough from said front side to said rear side, at least one of said holes including a countersink on said rear side, said lip including projections which extend into said holes and substantially ll said Countersink for effecting attachment of said lip to said indicia.

9. The invention of claim 6 characterized by said lip being connected to one of the top and bottom of said indicia and extending along a portion of the front side thereof.

10. The invention of claim 6 characterized by that portion of said indicia connected to said lip having a plurality of holes extending therethrough from said front side to said rear side, at least one of said holes including a countersink on said rear side, said lip including projections which extend into said holes and substantially till said countersink for etecting attachment of said lip to said indicia.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Elliot Dec. 6, 1955 

